Remember, we are compared with what we could be, not just what we should be. God being who He is, and Jesus Christ being His risen and all-powerful Son, anything we ought to be we can be. Anything that God has declared that we should be we can be. In the wonderful book of Romans, perhaps the greatest and most profound book in the Bible, 7 tells us of a man who is struggling and wanting to be something that he feels he cannot be. Finally he gives up and says, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death"" (verse 24). Immediately, Paul says, "Thanks be to God! . . . because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death" (25; 8:2). In Galatians 5:22-23 we read, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." That is what we ought to be and what we can be. Now compare that with what we are.

A.W. Tozer's materials are a mainstay in Evangelical churches in our day and he is one of the most quoted authors. He was a prophet in his day and his writings are even more influential in our day. One of his books: The Pursuit of God, has had over 1 million copies sold world-wide.

Morning and Evening with A.W. Tozer

What We Are and What We Can Be

God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. § The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. § To you who believe, He is precious. § We love Him because He first loved us. § The love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. You yourselves are taught by God to love one another. § This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. § Above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” § Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Morning Daily Light

 The fruit of the Spirit is love. 

Joy in the Holy Spirit. § Inexpressible and full of glory. Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing… Exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. § We also glory in tribulations. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame. § These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. § As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! § The joy of the Lord is your strength. In Your presence is fullness of joy; … at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. § For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

 The fruit of the Spirit is . . . joy. 

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering.” § The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love. § The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. § This is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully … But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God … Christ … suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps …; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. Be angry, and do not sin.

Evening Daily Light

 He who is slow to wrath has great understanding. 

To be spiritually minded is life and peace. God has called us to peace. § Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. § The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. § You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. § Whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil. Great peace have those who love your law.

 The fruit of the Spirit is . . . peace. 

The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth. Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love. § Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. § The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. §  Love suffers long and is kind. In due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. § Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. 

Be imitators of God as dear children. § Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. § Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. § The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. § He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

 The fruit of the Spirit is . . . goodness. 

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. § The fruit of the Spirit is love. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. § Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. § This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. § God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. § God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

 Keep yourselves in the love of God. 

By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. § Without faith it is impossible to please Him. § He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. § Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. § Faith working through love. § Faith without works is dead. We walk by faith, not by sight. § I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. § Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

 The fruit of the Spirit is . . . faithfulness. 

The humble … shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. § Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. § The incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit … is very precious in the sight of God. § Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up. Pursue … gentleness. § Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. § He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not his mouth. § Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return … but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.

 The fruit of the Spirit is . . . kindness. 

<blockquote>Ye have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (<a id="verse_1632877788228133" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Colossians/3/3">Col. 3:3</a>).</blockquote>When we rely upon and cater to the old man, that ground produces "the works of the flesh" (1). But as we abide in the risen Lord Jesus, that new ground of our position, His life will be manifested in "the fruit of the Spirit" (<a id="verse_1632877788366521" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Galatians/5/22">Gal. 5:22</a>; <a id="verse_1632877788118996260" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Galatians/5/23">23</a>)."God's Word declares that we are dead indeed unto sin,' but nowhere does it say that we are dead in ourselves. We shall look in vain within to find death there. We have died to sin; not in ourselves, but in Christ,' and our death with Him is as sure as His death, and since we died with Him it is impossible for His death to be certain and ours uncertain."We were crucified with Him because we were in Him (<a id="verse_1632877788822996" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Galatians/2/20">Gal. 2:20</a>). We are raised in Him (<a id="verse_1632877788610426" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Ephesians/2/6">Eph. 2:6</a>); we are complete in Him (<a id="verse_1632877788576440" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Colossians/2/10">Col. 2:10</a>); we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Him (<a id="verse_1632877788690795" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Ephesians/1/3">Eph. 1:3</a>); the entire work regarding us is not done in us but in the Lord Jesus - the Father has done all in His Son. If you stand on the ground of what the Lord Jesus is (abide), you will find in your growth that all that is true of Him is becoming true of you; but if you remain on the ground of what you are in yourself, you will find that all that is true of the old man is true of you in life and walk.""The purpose of Paul, in Romans Six, is to show how completely the believer is identified with the Lord Jesus when He died unto sin.' To enter fully into the meaning of that death is to see that He has emancipated us from any further dealings with our old master, sin. The believer is privileged thus to take his position in the risen Lord Jesus, who is now alive unto God.' From that ground he is henceforth to regard sin." -E.H."Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty with which Christ hath made us free" (<a id="verse_1632877788336920" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Galatians/5/1">Gal. 5:1</a>).

A 365 day devotional that will help you in your Christian growth and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.  This devotional is a collection of quotes from some of the best authors in the realm of Christian growth that has been organized by Miles J Stanford.  This devotional study is divided into 12 sections each containing 31 daily portions.

None but the Hungry Heart

 Groundwork 

Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober. § Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

 The fruit of the Spirit is . . . self-control. 

Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we for- bade him because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.” … “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He … rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.” “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” So Joshua the son of Nun … answered and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!” Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control … And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

 Take heed to your spirit. 

It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. § One Spirit. § Diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions. § God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. § God does not give the Spirit by measure. Of His fullness we have all received. § As the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. § He who … has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

 Take for yourself quality spices. And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil. 

Peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come. § The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” § Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. The Helper … the Spirit of truth. § The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. § The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us?”

 The Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. 

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, … and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed.

 If you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 

John 14:15-27Everything in Christian life is love. "The fruit of the Spirit is love." There are other things that are mentioned as fruit - but love is named first, and all the others are only parts or qualities of love. The one white ray of light is resolved into the seven colors of the rainbow. Just so does love, the white ray that shines from the face of God, separate itself into all the heavenly graces. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23).Love is the one essential in the life which the Holy Spirit produces. Paul tells us we may have great eloquence, tongues of angels, the gift of prophecy, faith that can move mountains, generosity that will give all we possess, the martyr's spirit; and yet, if we have not love - we are nothing. Men have been champions of orthodoxy, and yet, lacking love - are given to anger, evil temper, and resentment. There are those who are devoted to the institutions of religion and who yet fail to show love at home. These do not meet the highest requirement of the gospel. Nothing but love can satisfy the demands of the Holy Spirit.<div class="center-it mtb10">We must prove our love - by our life. "If you love me - you will keep my commandments." We cannot live truly, except by loving - but we cannot love and not live worthily. It is very easy to say we love a person - but our conduct is the only true index. In one of his epistles John, the disciple of love writes: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue - but with actions and in truth ." (1 John 3:16-18). John is speaking of the proof of love to our fellow men - but the same principle applies to our profession of love to Christ. It is not enough that we sing it in our hymns and say it in our prayers and recite it in our creeds ; we must show it in our life by obedience to His commandments. A fruit tree proves its usefulness, by bearing fruit. If there is "nothing but leaves," the tree's profession is empty. The rosebush must prove its right to the distinction, by putting forth beautiful roses in the season for roses. When we claim to be Christ's friends, we must show it by doing what Christ bids us do.</div>"If you love me - you will obey what I command." Promise follows requirement. Then he says, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth." The "and" is important. It links the promise back to the previous verse. There are four links in the chain. If we love Christ, we will keep His commandments; then He will ask the Father, and the Father will give us another Comforter. The disciples thought they would be sore losers by Christ's leaving them, and so they were, in a sense. It broke their hearts to part from Him. But He assures them that instead of His personal presence, another heavenly Friend would be sent to them.The name "Comforter" is a very precious one. Even in the common usage of the English word it is sacred. One who is a comforter to us, ministers to us in our sorrows, consoles us when we are in grief. Then the word "another" shows what kind of comforter the Spirit would be - Jesus had been a comforter, and the Spirit would be one just like Him. We sometimes wish we had lived when Jesus was on earth, and feel that those who knew Him in the flesh had a privilege no other believers ever again can have. But this word tells us that the Holy Spirit, who came in Christ's place - is all to us that Jesus was to His friends. He may not take away our sorrows from us - but if not, He gives us strength so that we can bear them. That is part of what the Holy Spirit does for us. He is not, however, merely a comforter in the sense that the word is now used. The word is "Paraclete," which has not precise equivalent in English. The same word is translated "Advocate" in one of John's epistles, which means one who stands by or stands for one. We may put all our affairs into the hands of this Advocate. He will defend us, intercede for us, and be our comrade and friend.The world does not want to receive the Holy Spirit - "Whom the world cannot receive." It has no love for Him, no eyes to behold His beauty, no ears to hear His words. The world does not want the Holy Spirit as guest. Only those who desire to be holy, have any yearning for Him. It is one of the most wonderful proofs of the love of God, that the Holy Spirit is wiling to live in a corrupt, defiled, loathsome human heart, amid all its sin and impurity, for the purpose of cleansing it and making it holy and fit for heaven! It was one of the qualities of the love of Christ, that it went out in compassion and longing to the most unworthy. Someone defined the love of God as "loving people He did not like." The Spirit of God takes up His abode in the worst heart - that He may make it clean and holy.It is wonderful how gently Christ dealt with His disciples that night. He talked with them as a mother about to leave her children would talk to them - mingled counsel, with words of love. He knew how lonely they would be when He was gone away from them. They would indeed be desolate in their sorrow and bereavement. We remember how it was with them those days that He lay in the grave. Then for forty days they saw Him occasionally, receiving sweet consolation from Him. After this He went away - but soon He came again in the Holy Spirit, and after that the disciples were never lonely anymore, for they had their Master's presence with them in close and loving tenderness all the while. We ought never to feel desolate if we have Christ. Everything else may be stripped off, and we may be driven out into the world, orphans, and homeless; but if we have Christ, we are rich in love and in all heavenly blessing.The proof of love for God - is obedience to His commandment. Then, when love for God is in our lives, God Himself is with us. "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." It is a wonderful truth that is declared to us here - that God actually desires to have our love and longs to make His home in our hearts."Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." One of the great words of the Bible is peace. Our heart hungers for it. Everywhere men search for it - in paths of pleasure, in the avenues of fame. But peace does not come by finding a quiet place to hide in, away from the world's storms. It must begin in the heart. Indeed, the peace a Christian has - must be a peace that will hold the heart quiet in spite of the world's storms .Two artists went out to paint each a picture of peace. One painted a silvery lake embosomed deep amid the hills, where no storm ever could touch it. The other painted a wild sea, swept by tempests, strewn with wrecks - but rising up out of it a great rock - and in the rock, high up, a cleft with herbage and flowers, amid which, on her nest, a dove was sitting. The latter is the true picture of Christian peace. "In the word you shall have tribulation," but "In me you shall have peace" (see 16:33). The peace of Christ is a peace that holds the heart quiet - in the very heart of the world's trials. This peace is offered to us here as a gift, as Christ's legacy to us. We can get it only by taking Christ Himself into our heart.

A unique type of devotional from the writings of James Russell Miller, published between 1908 and 1913.

Devotional Hours Within the Bible

John 14:15-27

The Comforter Promised

Galatians 5:16-26Paul states a great principle in spiritual ethics, when he says, "Walk by the Spirit - and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." He prescribes here the true rule of spiritual culture. The way to cure ourselves of bad tendencies, is to cultivate the good. It was on these words that Dr. Chalmers preached his famous sermon, "The Expulsive Power of a New Affection ." The way to become cured of evil lusts and desires - is to get the Spirit of God into one's heart. Where the Spirit is, everything is made to conform to the Spirit's life. The Spirit is love. Love is the fulfilling of the law, and love drives away all evil passion, all bitterness, all hatred. Those who walk by the Spirit - will not bite and devour one another - but will help one another ever toward "whatever things are true,. .. whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report."In another place, Paul contrasts the Holy Spirit and wine. He says, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." Nothing could be farther apart in their nature and effects, than wine and the Holy Spirit. Wine incites to all unruliness, all bitterness, all destructive tendencies. On the other hand, the Spirit is full of love, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and incites to everything that is Christ like and upbuilding. Paul is right when he says that these - that is, the Spirit and the flesh - are "contrary the one to the other." The way, therefore, to get rid of the fleshly appetites and passions - is to become filled with the Spirit, whose influence is always toward the things that are heavenly.It is a terrible picture of the works of the flesh which Paul gives in the following verses. We need not linger upon the words in detail. They describe all forms of impurity, and then include enmities, strife, jealousies, anger, factions, envyings, drunkenness and revelings. It is not saying too much, to assert that all of these are in the line of the results of drunkenness. Just such things as these drunkenness produces wherever it is allowed full sway. Drunkenness is a most debasing and degrading vice, and the others are of the same kind. We should note well what Paul says about these works of the flesh: "Of which I forewarn you. .. that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."We should never think of calling a man a Christian who indulges in such vices. Then, we may go a step farther and say that it is impossible also for persons who live in such debasing ways to enter into heaven itself. For heaven must first begin in our hearts. We never can enter the gates of pearl, unless we have received the heavenly life and Spirit, while we stay in this world.In wonderful contrast with this most pitiful cluster of works of the flesh, we have the virtues and graces which Paul enumerates as "the fruit of the Spirit." These are heavenly qualities. In our daily prayer we ask that we may do the will of God on earth - as it is done in heaven. These verses tell us how the will of God is done in heaven, how people live who have been redeemed and are inside the gates with Christ. It is well for us to study these qualities and characteristics of the kingdom of God in this world, also, as well as in heaven itself."Self-control" is also a fruit of the Spirit. The object of Christian culture is not only to know the will of God concerning our life and character - but also to achieve self-mastery. A drunkard has not self-control. He may say that he can drink or let it alone, as he chooses - but the fact is that he cannot. Indeed, men often make as an excuse for the debasing habit of drunkenness, that they cannot help it. It is a pitiful condition when a human being, made to be a child of God, made to be Christ like in life and character, is unable to control his own passions and desires, and is swept away by every unholy impulse. But it is this condition to which indulgence in any sort of evil tends.We soon form habits for ourselves, and then our habits become our masters. When one has formed the habit of kindness, it becomes second nature, as it were, to be kind. If one has formed the habit of sobriety, of resisting self-indulgence of any kind, this quality also becomes second nature, as we say. It is easy for us, then, to refuse to do evil and choose to do good. He who has attained perfect self-control, and has the complete mastery of himself, need not be afraid of temptation. But how can one get this perfect self-mastery? It is only when Christ lives in us, His Spirit filling our hearts, and producing in us all gentle and kindly desires, all holy impulses - that we really have self-mastery.A story is told of Henry Drummond and the way he sought to save a friend from the drinking habit. This friend's wife had appealed to Mr. Drummond privately regarding the habit of drinking into which her husband was falling, requesting him to try to save him. One day this friend and Mr. Drummond were riding behind two spirited horses which the friend was driving. As they were about descending a hill, Mr. Drummond said to him, "What would happen if these horses got out of your control and started to run down the hill?" The man said that they could not help being dashed to pieces. "But," continued Mr. Drummond quietly, "suppose in such a case there sat one beside you who was able to control the horses and save you from the disaster impending. What would you do?" The man was silent for a moment, and then said, "I should put the lines into his hands." It was not hard for Mr. Drummond to pass to the man's own increasing danger, as he was losing the mastery over himself in his indulgence in strong drink.Christ is ever by us and we may always put the lines into His hands if we will. Paul intimates that the self - controlled life is not an easy one. "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." Crucifixion suggests that only by nailing the desires of the flesh to the cross can they be put to death. No doubt Paul was thinking of the cross of Christ, and meant to intimate that only by entering into Christ's own death, by accepting Him as Savior and Master, can anyone have the evil lusts of nature put to death. We cannot by any mere child's play overcome the evil tendencies in our lives. It cost Christ a terrible death to redeem the world. It costs any man a terrible crucifixion of self to enter into complete self - mastery of a Christian.

Galatians 5:16-26

The Flesh and the Spirit

The phrase "the fruit of the Spirit" teaches us at the outset that the virtues that follow can be produced only by the Holy Spirit. An unconverted man is incapable of manifesting any of these graces. Even a true believer is powerless to reproduce them by his own strength. So when we think of these graces, we must remember that they are supernatural and other-worldly.The love spoken of here, for instance, is not the eros of passion, or the philia of friendship, or the storge of affection. It is agape love - the kind of love which God has shown to us and which He wants us to show to others.Let me illustrate! Dr. T. E. McCully was the father of Ed McCully, one of the five young missionaries martyred by the Auca Indians in Ecuador. One night when Dr. McCully and I were on our knees together in Oak Park, Illinois, his thoughts went back to Ecuador and to the Curaray River that holds the secret of the whereabouts of Ed's body. He prayed, "Lord, let me live long enough to see those fellows saved who killed our boys, that I may throw my arms around them and tell them I love them because they love my Christ." When we arose I saw rivulets of tears zig-zagging down his cheeks.God answered that prayer of love. Some of those Auca Indians later professed faith in Christ. Dr. McCully went to Ecuador, met these men who murdered his son, threw his arms around them, and told them he loved them because they loved his Christ.That is agape love. It is impartial, seeking the highest good of all - the homely as well as the handsome, foes as well as friends. It is unconditional, asking for nothing in return for its constant giving. It is sacrificial, never minding the cost. It is unselfish, more concerned with the needs of others than its own. It is pure, free from any trace of impatience, envy, pride, vindictiveness or spite.Love is the greatest virtue of the Christian life. Without it our noblest endeavors are worthless.

With reverence, humor and skill, William MacDonald wove a daily devotional tapestry that challenges the reader to think deeply and Biblically, and apply God's Word to their lives.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

"The fruit of the Spirit is love…" (Galatians 5:22)

Man never finds real joy till he finds the Lord. Then he enters in to what Peter calls "joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8).Anyone can rejoice when circumstances are favorable, but the joy which is the fruit of the Spirit is not the result of earthly circumstances. It springs from our relationship to the Lord and from the precious promises He has given to us. Christ would have to be dethroned before the Church could be finally robbed of its joy.Christian joy can coexist with suffering. Paul weds the two when he speaks of "all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (Colossians 1:11). The Thessalonian saints had received the word "in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost" (1 Thessalonians 1:6). Suffering saints down through the centuries have testified how the Lord has given them songs in the night.Joy can coexist with sorrow. The believer can stand by the grave of a loved one, shed tears of sorrow at the loss, yet rejoice at the knowledge that the loved one is in the presence of the Lord.But joy cannot coexist with sin. Whenever a Christian sins, he loses his song. Not until he confesses and forsakes that sin is the joy of his salvation restored.The Lord Jesus told His disciples to rejoice when they were reviled, persecuted and falsely accused (Matthew 5:11-12). And they did! Not many years later we read of them leaving the courtroom, "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41).Our joy increases as we grow in the knowledge of the Lord. At first, perhaps, we can rejoice in minor irritations, chronic ailments and trivial inconveniences. But the Spirit of God wishes to bring us to the point where we can see God when circumstances are at their worst and rejoice in the knowledge that His way is perfect. We are spiritually mature when we can say with Habakkuk, "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

"The fruit of the spirit is.. .joy." (Galatians 5:22)

As soon as we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). That means that the hostility between ourselves and God has ceased since Christ has effectively dealt with the cause of that hostility - our sins.We also have peace of conscience knowing that the work is finished, Christ has paid the penalty of our sins, and God has forgotten them.But then the Holy Spirit also wants us to enjoy the peace of God in our hearts. This is the serenity and tranquility that come from knowing that our times are in the hands of God and that nothing can happen to us apart from His permissive will.So we can remain calm when we have a tire blowout on the busy freeway. We don't have to lose our composure when heavy traffic causes us to miss the plane. Peace means remaining cool in a car crash. Or when grease ignites on the kitchen range.This fruit of the Spirit enables a Peter to sleep soundly in jail, a Stephen to pray for his murderous assailants, a Paul to comfort others in a shipwreck.When a plane flies into clear air turbulence, and is thrown around like a feather in the gale, when the wing tips flex thirteen feet, when most of the passengers are screaming as the plane lurches, falls, rises and dips, peace enables a believer to bow his head, commit his soul to God, and praise God for whatever may be the outcome.Or to change the illustration, the Spirit of God can give peace to us when we sit in the doctor's office and hear him say, "I'm sorry to tell you but it's malignant." He can enable us to reply, "I'm ready to go, Doctor. I'm saved by the grace of God, and for me it will be 'absent from the body, at home with the Lord.'"And so in the words of Bickerstith's lovely hymn, we can have "Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin…by thronging duties pressed…with sorrows surging round…with loved ones far a way…our future all unknown" because "Jesus we know, and He is on the throne."

"The fruit of the Spirit is… peace…" (Galatians 5:22)

Longsuffering is the virtue that bears up patiently and even triumphantly under the aggravations of life. While it may refer to a patient response to adverse circumstances, it usually refers to a merciful endurance of the provocations of people.God is longsuffering with man. Think for a moment of the gross sinfulness of the human race at the present time - the legalization of prostitution, the popularization of homosexuality, the laws permitting abortions, the breakdown of marriage and the home, the wholesale rejection of moral standards, and, of course, man's crowning sin - the utter rejection of God's Son as only Lord and Savior. One could scarcely blame God if He were to wipe out mankind with a stroke. But He doesn't do it. His goodness is designed to lead men to repentance. He is not willing that any should perish.And His will is that this longsuffering should be reproduced in the lives of His people as they yield to the Holy Spirit. This means that we should not be quick-tempered. We should not fly off the handle easily. We should not try to get even with people when they have wronged us. Instead we should display what someone has called "a kind of conquering patience."When Corrie and Betsie ten Boom were enduring indescribable sufferings in the concentration camp, Betsie would often say that they must help these people after they were released. They simply had to find a way to help them. Corrie thought, of course, that her sister was planning some program to rehabilitate the victims of the Nazis. It wasn't till later that Corrie realized that Betsie meant her persecutors. She wanted to find some way to teach them to love. Corrie commented, "And I wondered, not for the first time, what sort of a person she was, this sister of mine…what kind of road she followed while I trudged beside her on the all-too-solid earth" (The Hiding Place, p. 175).The road Betsie followed was the road of longsuffering. And Corrie walked it too, in spite of her humble disclaimer.

"The fruit of the Spirit is…longsuffering…" (Galatians 5:22)

The King James Version has the word "gentleness" here but almost all modern versions read "kindness." "The fruit of the Spirit is…kindness."Kindness describes the gentle, gracious, generous disposition that results in the doing of favors, the showing of mercies, and the bestowing of benefits on others. The kind person is gracious, not harsh; sympathetic, not indifferent; and helpful, not uninvolved. He is considerate, compassionate and charitable.There is a natural kindness which even the people of the world show to one another. But the kindness which is produced by the Spirit is supernatural. It goes above and beyond anything that man is capable of doing by himself. It enables a believer to lend, hoping for nothing in return. It enables him to show hospitality to those who cannot repay him. It enables him to reward every insult with a courtesy. A Christian university student displayed this supernatural kindness toward another student who was an alcoholic. The latter had become so disgusting that he had been rejected by his classmates and finally was evicted from his quarters. The Christian had an extra bed in his room and so invited the drunk to live with him. Many nights the believer had to clean up his roommate's vomit, take his clothes off, bathe him and put him to bed. It was a magnificent display of Christian kindness.And - to complete the story - it paid off. Once, during a sober period, the dissolute fellow asked with irritation, "Say, look here, why are you doing all this for me? What are you after?" The Christian replied, "I'm after your soul" - and he got it.When Dr. Ironside was cleaning out the cellar one day, he called a Jewish junk dealer to cart away the papers, magazines, rags and scrap metal. Dr. Ironside pretended to bargain seriously for a good price for the junk, but the junk man won, of course. When he was taking the last load out to his truck, kindly H. A. I. called him back, saying, "Oh, I forgot something. I want to give you this in the Name of the Lord Jesus." And he handed him fifty cents.The junk dealer went away, saying, "No one ever gave me anything in the Name of Jesus before.""The fruit of the Spirit is…kindness."

"The fruit of the Spirit is…kindness…" (Galatians 5:22 NASB)

Goodness means excellence of character. Someone has defined it as "virtue equipped at every point," which simply means that the person possessing it is kind, virtuous and righteous in every area of life.Goodness is the opposite of badness. A bad man may be deceitful, immoral, treacherous, unjust, cruel, selfish, hateful, covetous, and/or intemperate. The good man, though not perfect, exemplifies truth, justice, purity and other similarly desirable traits.The Apostle Paul distinguishes between a righteous man and a good man in Romans 5:7. The righteous man is just, honest and straightforward in his dealings, but he may be icily detached from others. The good man, on the other hand, is affectionate and lovable. One would scarcely die for a righteous man, but one might die for a good man.And yet we must remember that goodness can be firm. It would not be good to condone or overlook sin. And so goodness can rebuke, correct and discipline. We see this when the Lord Jesus, who is goodness incarnate, cleansed the Temple.A unique feature of goodness is that it can overcome evil. Paul wrote to the Roman believers, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). When we allow someone else's hatred to ruin our disposition, we have been overcome by his evil. But when we rise above it and show grace, mercy and love, we have overcome evil with good.Murdoch Campbell tells of a godly Highland minister whose wife tried to make life miserable for him. One day as he was reading his Bible, she snatched it from his hands and threw it in the fire! He looked up into her face and said quietly, "I don't think I've ever sat by a warmer fire." His goodness overcame her evil. She became a lovely, gracious wife. As Campbell comments, "His Jezebel became a Lydia. His thorn became a lily." Goodness had conquered!

"The fruit of the Spirit is…goodness…" (Galatians 5:22)

This fruit of the Spirit is generally understood as being faithfulness. It is not the faith that saves, or the trust we exercise in God day by day (although it may include that). Rather it is our fidelity and dependability in our dealings with the Lord and with one another. Someone has defined it as being "true to oneself, to one's nature, to any promise given, to any trust committed."When we say that a man's word is his bond, we mean that in dealing with him, no written contract is necessary. If he has agreed to do something, he can be depended on to do it.The faithful man keeps appointments on time, pays his bills on schedule, attends the meetings of the local fellowship regularly, performs tasks assigned to him without having to be constantly reminded. He is unswervingly true to his marriage vows and unfailing in the discharge of his family responsibilities. He is conscientious in setting money aside for the work of the Lord and careful also in his stewardship of time and talents.Faithfulness means being true to one's word, even at great personal cost. The faithful man "swears to his own hurt, and does not change" (Psalms 15:4 c NASB). In other words, he does not cancel one supper engagement when he receives another that promises a better menu or more congenial company. He does not renege on a work assignment to go on a recreational trip (unless he first arranges for a satisfactory substitute). He sells his house at the agreed price even if someone later offers him $10,000 more.The ultimate in faithfulness is being willing to die rather than renounce one's loyalty to Christ. When the king demanded that a faithful Christian retract his confession of Christ, the man replied, "The heart thought it; the mouth spoke it; the hand subscribed it; and if need be, by God's grace the blood shall seal it." When Polycarp was offered life in exchange for a denial of the Lord, he chose rather to be burned at the stake, saying, "These eighty-six years have I served my Lord. He never did me any harm, and I cannot deny my Lord and Master now."The martyrs were faithful unto death, and will receive a crown of life (Revelation 2:10).

"The fruit of the Spirit is…faith…" (Galatians 5:22)

For Reading and Meditation:      Galatians 5:16-26So important is the point we raised yesterday - the need for selective expression - that we will spend another day considering it. Listen to how the Amplified Bible translates Psalm 73:15: "Had I spoken thus and given expression to my feelings, I would have been untrue and have dealt treacherously against the generation of your children" (emphasis mine). Notice that although the psalmist experienced strong feelings of uncertainty, he refrained from expressing these emotions because they would have had a negative effect upon his brothers and sisters. He acknowledged his emotions, but he refused to express them because he knew they would hurt and hinder the family of God. Expression of our feelings with no thought of another's welfare amounts to sinful, selfish indulgence. We must allow ourselves to feel the full weight of our emotions but then subordinate their expression to the purposes of God. Only if it is God's will for us to share those feelings with others must we do so. Thus the apostle could write stinging words of rebuke to the Corinthian church because his words were in harmony with God's purposes. We have to be on our guard here, because whenever we feel angry, and vent our anger on someone, it is so easy to justify our angry feelings by saying, "God wanted to use me to teach you a lesson."It more often than not, if we examine our hearts we will find that our goal was not the will of God but the desire to get those angry feelings out from inside us. Selective expression of feelings is a mature and spiritual response; indiscrimate expression is immature and unspiritual. Gracious God and loving heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I have hurt others by the indiscriminate expression of my negative feelings. Help me understand and apply this principle of "selective expression" In Jesus' Name. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>Ephesians 4:15</li><li>Proverbs 16:32</li><li>2 Peter 1:3-7</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What is to govern our sharing?</li><li>Why are we to be self-controlled?</li></ul></div></div>

Let a little light into your soul every day with this wonderful devotional from English pastor Selwyn Hughes.

Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

"But the fruit of the Spirit is  self-control." (vv. 22-23) 

For Reading and Meditation:      Romans 7:14-8:4Yesterday we ended by saying that God can impart purity as well as impute it, and He then helps us apply it in our daily life and experience. Permit me to share my own personal experience in this connection, not as a model for you to follow, but simply to illustrate how God revealed Himself to me. Following my conversion in my mid-teens, friends assured me that I ought to ask God to baptise me in His Holy Spirit. This, they told me, would give me the power I needed to become an effective witness for Him. I asked God to do this - and in a remarkable encounter with Him, I found the power I sought. But although this experience transformed me overnight from a shy, timid follower of Christ into a fearless witness for Him, I still felt deeply troubled by sinful forces. I fought hard with such things as lust and sensuality until one night, worn down by the inner conflict, I got down on my knees and prayed: "Lord, reach deep inside me and make me truly clean." Again, something wonderful took place - not so much an invasion of power as an invasion of purity. It did not result, I found, in placing me beyond the possibility of a carnal thought, a stab of pride, a trace of envy, but it meant that from that moment to this, I have been more conscious of the Holy Spirit's presence than I have been of sin's presence. Evil was not eradicated in me, as some proponents of imparted holiness believe, but I found that the eagerness for it had gone, and the hunger for it was no longer a clamour. Now, fifty years later, I never cease to thank God for His Spirit's cooling and cleansing touch. My Father and my God, although I realise I have to walk my own personal path to holiness and inner cleansing, help me to know at last that same cooling, cleansing touch in the depths of my heart. I ask this for Your own dear Name's sake. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>Galatians 5:1-26</li><li>Matthew 5:29</li><li>Romans 6:6</li><li>Romans 13:14</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>How did Paul exhort the Galatians?</li><li>How drastically did Jesus put it?</li></ul></div></div>

"' through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." (8:2)

For Reading and Meditation:      Isaiah 3:1-11Now we pause to ask ourselves how this fifth Beatitude, when practised, engenders within us good mental and spiritual health. Psychologists have shown that those who lack the qualities of mercy and compassion are more likely to develop physical problems. Harsh, judgmental attitudes may bring a sense of satisfaction to the person who does not know the meaning of mercy, but it is a false sense of satisfaction. A verse that, strictly speaking, does not apply to what I am saying here, but nevertheless has some application is this: "It did taste sweet, like honey, but when I had eaten it, it was bitter to digest" (Revelation 10:10, Moffatt). That is what happens whenever we adopt any attitude that is not in harmony with Jesus Christ. At first it does "taste sweet, like honey" - its beginnings are apparently sweet, but it is "bitter to digest" - it cannot be assimilated. Our human constitution is not made to function effectively on any attitude that is foreign to the spirit of Jesus Christ. A Christian doctor says: "We are allergic to wrong attitudes just as some people are allergic to shrimps." I am physically allergic to red and green peppers. I have tried them scores of times, but the result has always been the same - I get sick. I am just as allergic to harsh, judgmental attitudes. I can't assimilate them. They disrupt me - body, soul and spirit. And what goes for me goes also for you. When we fail to practise the principles which our Lord outlined for us in the Beatitudes, then our sense of well-being is lowered, depleted and poisoned. Goodness is good for us - spiritually, mentally and physically.Father, something is being burned into my consciousness: there is only one healthy way to live - Your Way. When I break with You, I break with life. Help me always to maintain a close connection with You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>Psalm 23:1-6</li><li>Psalm 31:9</li><li>Exodus 34:6</li><li>Galatians 5:22</li><li>Ephesians 5:9</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>Of what is goodness a characteristic?</li><li>Can you make the same declaration as the psalmist?</li></ul></div></div>

"Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves." (v. 9:) 

For Reading and Meditation:      Psalm 149:1-9We come now to Christ's third prescription for happiness: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). How we have shied away from that word "meek". We have thought of meekness as weakness and thus have a totally wrong concept of what Jesus meant. The Amplified Bible translates it thus: "Blessed are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth." The dictionary defines "meek" as "humble, compliant and submissive". Does this mean that Jesus expects the children of the kingdom to be like subdued puppies who crawl into their master's presence and cower at his feet? Or to become the type of people who lack inner fortitude and gumption, who can be easily pushed around and manipulated? The truly meek person - in the Biblical sense of the word - is not timid, shy, hesitant and unassuming, but trusting, confident and secure. The root meaning of the word "meekness" is that of yieldedness or surrender - a characteristic without which no real progress can be made in the Christian life. What happens, for example, to the scientist who approaches the mysteries of the universe in a manner that is aggressive and belligerent? He discovers nothing. But what happens to the scientist who approaches the mysteries of the universe in a spirit of meekness? He finds its richest secrets unfolding themselves to him and he is able to harness the mighty forces around him to advantage. The Christian who approaches life in the same spirit - the spirit of meekness and submission - discovers the true meaning of his existence and the purpose of God in all his affairs. Gracious Father, help me to understand clearly the difference between meekness and weakness. And show me how to apply this principle in all I say and in all I do. This I ask in Christ's powerful and precious Name. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>James 1:12-21</li><li>Zephaniah 2:3</li><li>Galatians 5:22-23</li><li>1 Peter 3:4</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What are we to receive with meekness?</li><li>Does the Biblical definition of meekness fit you?</li></ul></div></div>

"For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation." (v. 4, AV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

But the fruit<cr>1</cr> of the Spirit is love,<cr>2</cr> joy, peace,<cr>3</cr> forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Galatians 5:22

 But the fruit  of the Spirit is love,  joy, peace,  forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Galatians 5:22 NIV

Galatians 5:22 NIV

Related Topics

Group of Brands